


The New Age Empire v2: Book One

by GokuGirl



Series: The New Age Empire [2]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama, Gen, Humor, Out of Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-02-26
Updated: 2001-04-17
Packaged: 2018-04-10 18:18:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4402316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GokuGirl/pseuds/GokuGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Version #2. After a cataclysmic event, Vegeta takes it upon himself to revive the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prequel - And So the Heavens Wept

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Rebirth of an Empire](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/132599) by Cherine. 



> This is the rewrite of the original New Age Empire.
> 
>  **Information:** If you're just joining this timeline then there are things that you should know about it:
> 
>   1. Goku didn't die during the Cell Games. Gohan decided not to make Cell suffer and instead kill him before he used his bomb. The Majin Buu saga happened exactly like before just with a few more characters.
>   2. Goku and ChiChi have an additional child. Son Mia is younger than her two brothers at fifteen but she's a martial artist just like them.
>   3. Gohan and Videl had a daughter younger than Pan now. Right now Son Moura is only one year old.
>   4. Bulma and Vegeta have been quite busy with *two* additional offspring. Vegeta Briefs Junior is twenty while Jakina Briefs is only nine.
> 

> 
> **Ages of Everyone Else:** Trunks is twenty-four, Goten is twenty-three, Pan's ten, and Bra's twelve.
> 
> The Guide to The New Age Empire can be found @ http://denkaku.gokugirl.com/fanfics/nae2_guide.html

 

The day began just like any other. The sun rose slowly, caressing the blue planet of Chikyuu with its warm rays. It looked to be a promising day with temperatures in the upper seventies and not a trace of rain in the sky. Alarm clocks were just beginning to beep, buzz, and ring all over the city and sleepy people yawned and began to start the day. Only one person was wide-awake, though, and he stood high above the planet on Kami's Lookout. ****

"Popo-san," Dende began, "do you sense anything unusual about today?"

"Not really, Dende." The genie responded. "Is there something wrong?"

He frowned with concentration as he sought to pinpoint the exact source of kis he was feeling. "I feel unusual kis in the solar system but I don't know where the originate from. In fact, I can't even tell if they have evil intent or not!" He looked ready to tear out his hair in frustration -- that is if he had any to begin with. Finally he decided to just wait and see. Acting hastily might result in undesired consequences.

On the other side of the world, the occupants of the Capsule Corporation were now in the "getting dressed" stage. Angry shouts could be heard from within over who would use the bathrooms first. At length Vegeta Jr. and Bra one and their frowning siblings were made to wait. The time was now seven-fifteen.

The kis Dende sensed a mere five minutes before were located on a ship that currently orbited the planet. It was a highly polished metallic silver and the side that faced the sun gleamed in the darkness. There were no weapons mounted on the hull and very few windows were seen either. On all outwardly appearances it looked to be nothing more than a very large cargo ship but inside it was a very different thing.

Blue-skinned aliens went about their way on the ship completing the final tasks until decimation. The aliens were many different shades of blue but one trait was shared among the entire lot. Their skin was semi-transparent that you could see the faint shapes of various internal organs, their eyes were a brilliant red that glowed with a feverish purpose, and their hands and feet ended in razor sharp claws that could shred most species to ribbons in just a few seconds. The claws were retracted at the moment so that their hands were free to work without fear of accidental destruction. The young ones were taught almost from birth to always keep them hidden except in battle and they grasped it quickly. The children that didn't were not fit to live.

The Kamoku-jin were a race of death and had been created for just such a purpose. The original bio-engineers were of a species that had been at war with a neighboring planet for millennia. When the other race invented new technology so did they. When the others began training their people from birth they quickly followed suit. Soon the people who had eventually come to be known as simply the Perfection Seekers had began to create a set of magical springs that greatly enhanced a person's abilities. So the other planet was forced to take extreme measures.

It took them years to perfect the first beings as it had taken the Perfection Seekers years to finish the first spring. The war was halted for almost a decade while both people hurried to finish their ultimate weapons. After thirty years had gone by there were seven magic springs of Agalar and three-thousand blood thirsty Kamoku-jin. On the twentieth day of the new year that had been later called The Day of Sorrow, the final battle took place in a vast desert on planet of Agalar. Ten hours later the Perfection Seekers were completely wiped out. All of the other species, the Tun'tn, were celebrating in the streets. It took the Kamoku-jin only another few hours to kill them all as well.

The streets of the cities ran red with the blood of the Tun'tn as the killing machines they had given birth to turned on them. No one was spared in the vicious onslaught as the Kamoku-jin satisfied their enormous hunger of death. After the high of killing finally faded the Kamoku-jin began to build an empire from the ruins of the old one. Their only purpose in life was death so that was the only thing they spread onto others. Over the years their ways had become creative. Death by torture, death by poison, death by murder, death by disease. No matter how the poor, unfortunate victim met his end they enjoyed it. There was one important rule to their madness, though, do not kill a competent member of your own society. It's okay to harm others but killing other Kamoku-jin is strictly forbidden.

So they orbited the planet of Chikyuu only a few minutes before they were to send a few hundred tiny capsules with a specially developed virus that would (hopefully) reproduce the effects the bubonic plague had on its victims in the middle ages. If anything the symptoms would instill fear in the populace and cause panic and division among them all. With such disorganization there would be hardly any resistance.

After being programmed where to land, the tiny white capsules headed off for their destinations: heavily populated metropolis'. Paris, France was hit as well as New York City, New York; Tokyo, Japan; and London, England. But still Dende did not detect anything wrong.

***

It was now several days after the launching of the virus ridden capsules and its effects were become widespread. Upon impact with a surface, each capsule had opened sending millions of deadly microorganisms into the air or the water. Paris was the first city with a major plague problem, their capsule had immediately landed into the water supply infecting millions within the first three days. Finally Dende noticed that something wasn't quite right on Chikyuu and kicked himself because he didn't realize it sooner.

"What should I do, Popo-san?" he asked as he literally watched people die from the plague. "Is there a cure for this disease at the moment, Popo-san?"

"I don't believe so, Dende," he responded. "Iie."

"Then what am I supposed to do?!" This was his second world-wide crisis and he still didn't know what to do.

"I suggest that you contact Bulma and have her examine all of the ones who have just died. The disease should be still active in their bodies up to three hours after. Then she could develop something that can help everyone's immune systems combat the disease."

"That is a wonderful idea, Popo, but unfortunately I don't have a way to do that unless I travel to Enma-sama's domain and speak to Kaio-sama."

"Then do so, Dende. No matter how quickly you accomplish your task, many people will die."

The Namek young man sighed deeply. "I know. That's what saddens me so."

Millions of people were crowding hospitals all over the world by the end of the week and their cases were all the same: high fevers, aching limbs, the vomiting of blood, and swollen lymph nodes. Eventually their swollen glands would turn blackish in appearance and then burst, spreading the disease even farther. From start to finish the entire process only took around three or four days. Some of the people with milder cases miraculously recovered. The healthy people had all fled the areas that were hit the most. The disease had spread the most in the first two weeks and Satan City; the Northern, Southern, and Eastern Capitals; and the immediate surrounding areas had been spared until the first case was seen exactly sixteen days from the original date of release. The victim was Kamesennin Mutenroshi.

No one knows just how the disease had spread beyond Tokyo; some were suggesting birds or insects while still others said it was from the people who had fled the metropolis. Either way it had arrived and was taking lives.

A few hours after releasing the epidemic upon the world, the Kamoku-jin and their huge, metallic spaceship had moved just outside of the solar system. They all knew that there were warriors on Chikyuu that could easily climb aboard a spaceship and hunt them down. It only added an extra thrill to the already dangerous planet extermination they usually committed. When everyone was dead they were to go planetside in special bio suits and take a trophy or two back to their home planet. It was proof that they had done their job. They waited for a week and still people remained. They waited for another week and still there were survivors. At the end of the third week the scouts reported that someone was stopping the disease and it was beginning to die off. Then the decision was made to execute plan B.

There were going to attack the planet personally. No matter what, their thirst for death would be quenched.

***

 _"Goku!"_ Kaio-sama's voice screamed inside of his head late Wednesday evening -- twenty-three days after the Kamoku-jin arrived in orbit around Chikyuu. _"There is a large group of aliens heading towards Chikyuu. Dende started feeling something three weeks ago but couldn't figure out what it was."_

Goku raised a single eyebrow then nodded. _"Go on."_

_"It looks to be a warship, Goku. So far I've counted only about one-hundred thousand onboard. Hai, they are coming for evil intent. They are the Kamoku-jin, the Death Bringers, and master in many different things that always result in extreme pain and then death. There is one ship, now, but others are on their way. This single ship alone could give you trouble."_

_"Not again!"_ he sighed wearily. _"When we will be left in peace?"_

_"At this rate: never."_

_"Thanks for telling me, Kaio-sama. I'll take care of it."_ He sighed once again and spoke aloud. "Goten! Mia! We have trouble!"

"What's wrong, Goku-sa?" ChiChi asked as she wiped her hands on her apron. She had been in the kitchen washing the dishes from dinner.

"Kaio-sama just told me that there is a large ship heading towards the planet. So far he's aware of at least one-hundred thousand aliens on board. They want to kill us off."

"Oh no!" She exclaimed as their two youngest children joined them in the living room. "What's the reason this time?"

Both Goten and Mia were out of house before she even asked the question. Goku paused in the doorway and kissed her briefly on the cheek. "They don't have one, ChiChi. They do it because they can." He joined his children in the sky, then, and headed off to the Capsule Corporation. The rest would be called from there. First Bulma was needed to figure out just how close the ships were to the planet, then a plan would be devised accordingly.

"Be careful Goku! Mia, Goten don't," her breath caught briefly, "die on me." ChiChi continued to watch them until they were out of sight then she turned and headed directly to the television. If things were as bad as Goku said they were, then it would be all over the news soon. It would be her only way to find out what was going on.

***

"How many are there Bulma?" Yamcha asked in a worried tone. He was afraid and it was clearly apparent on his face. Although he wasn't the only one, the others were better at hiding it. The human Z-senshi were all getting on in years and probably wouldn't any help but at least they showed up. Yamcha had to be begged by Krillin. It seemed he still has horrible nightmares about the time Jinzouningen Nijuu-gou, or Doctor Gero, put a fist through his abdomen. Eventually he gave in and said that he would fight until his last breath. Oh how true that would prove to be.

"I can only see the ships that are inside of our solar system so I can only get an estimate." She quickly double checked her computer to be sure. "There are five ships now; around three million inside of the solar system. The largest ship, the one that's closest to Chikyuu, is sending out smaller ships filled with lifeforms. Approximate Kamoku-jin per smaller ship is around three-thousand. There are about thirty of those. In ten seconds, one of those small ships can cross two-thousand. The ship nearest to us is approaching Beijing, China and will reach it in about five seconds. From there it can reach this city in six seconds."

"You sure are efficient," Yamcha frowned. "That was a bit more information than I wanted to know."

"That's not the only ship making planetfall. The others are headed to various other large cities to finish off what they had started with the virus." This startled everyone when she said that. Bulma gave them all smirk and merely continued to track the ships. "Dende felt this a little over three weeks ago. That was the same exact time Paris started showing symptoms of that recent plague we had. Both of these horrible incidents happening around the same time? I think that was a little too convenient, don't you?"

"You're right," Goku said. "They probably were trying to weaken us."

"Or they could have tried to kill us with the illness alone," Gohan pointed out. "Since it didn't work they're now coming to finish the job. What do we do, Tousan? What's the plan?" When in doubt, leave the planning to Goku. Even Vegeta had to admit that they were usually good ones though they made not seem that way at first. The Cell Games was a good example of that.

"I'm putting one person of great power with two others that are weaker. Gohan, you go with Pan and Bra to North America; Vegeta, you take Trunks and Goten and look after Europe and Africa; Piccolo, take Mia and V.J. with you to Central and South America, and Krillin, Yamcha, and I will watch over Asia and Australia. Hopefully we can keep an eye on the ships in each area but I don't know. They seem so fast."

No one disagreed with his plan and everyone left immediately for their respective areas. Bulma took the laptop she had been working on with her back to her lab but handed Goku a small communicator.

"If I have an updates, I'll contact you on this. I know you have a strong mental bond with everyone so you're the perfect person to give this to." She kissed each of them on the cheek. "Please be careful. I don't want to see any of you dead again."

After all three promised, they took off into the skies of Japan to watch over their charges.

***

The main ship had hovered above Chikyuu for majority of the battle. Most of the small ships had been destroyed in the air after only blowing up a few buildings but still a few escaped in the rainforests of Brazil and the vast desert of the Sahara. All of the Z-Senshi were tired from the battle and from attempting to locate the injured people and getting them medical attention. The time was now one a.m., five hours from the time Goku was first contact by Kaio-sama. Vegeta's team and Gohan's team were both on their way back from their areas when the mothership opened fire onto Satan City.

There was a hidden beam cannon mounted on the underside of the largest ship that had begun to be called the "mothership" by Bulma. From the point where the entered the atmosphere to the point where their destination was located they began to blast completely at random, hoping to do as much damage as they could. The beam energy, once it impacted upon the ground, left burned areas around two miles in diameter and nothing was left alive. It finally hovered over the center of the city at twelve fifty-five a.m. and began to shoot at one. It took them five minutes to reset their weapon.

While the mothership did not have great speed, it possessed an unholy amount of firepower. The area it covered was always so darkened in shadow that the people thought the restored moon had been blown up again. When they came outside to see, they found themselves looking up into a great area of glowing energy that soon engulfed them completely. The heat was so intense that the all living cells were completely disintegrated within a split second and bones were charred beyond recognition. Goku and the other two Z-senshi that made up his team arrived at the scene just as the mothership was moving on.

"We've got to stop that thing!" Goku shouted over the deafening screaming of the panicked and dying. People were trying to flee the city as fast as they could. All three stood on the ground in the exact center of the great circular scar on the planet and watched the ship move on.

"Can't you just shoot a Kamehameha Wave at it and blow it up?" Yamcha asked.

"Iie. I'm too close to be able to get it all at once. Large pieces of the ship will fall from it, crushing innocent people. I can't risk their deaths."

"Normally you can't," Krillin said, "but this time you may not have a choice."

While they had been talking, hundreds of Kamoku-jin had begun to pour from inside of the ship. They jumped from at least two-hundred miles in the air and fell slowly and gracefully towards the ground. But Goku couldn't kill them immediately, first he had to ask them to leave nicely.

Of course it didn't work. Instead the Kamoku-jin proved that they meant business by moving faster than either Krillin or Yamcha could see and killing them with a ki blast similar in appearance to the beam that comes from their cannon. Goku had seen many things in his lifetime -- that included many different ways of death -- but this was by far the worst. He turned away after three seconds but he could not close his ears to their screams as their bodies were seared straight to the bone. The attack burned away their cells layer-by-layer until it reached naked bone. Then the bones were abandoned completely. It was thirty seconds of the most extreme pain imaginable and the Kamoku-jin's fanged mouths grinned in glee. Goku was left in shock over the whole thing but quickly recovered when the aliens decided to have a little fun with their prey first.

Goku was filled with a mission: he would exact revenge for his fallen friends and stop this evil before he spread to other planets. He gave the fight his all but in the end it just wasn't enough. The saiyan had hardly ever met someone faster than he was but these aliens were among few. They wouldn't even give him time to transform into a super saiyan level three! He managed to kill a small percentage of them but, tiring of play, the Kamoku-jin used the same attack on him that they had used on his friends. Goku had decided later on, in the afterlife, that he hadn't known what pain was until he experienced that attack and hoped to never find out again. It was now one-fifteen and his back-up had arrived.

The mothership in this time had moved over yet another area of the city and turned it to ash. That had been where the Capsule Corporation had been located. The two groups, Gohan's and Vegeta's, split over the city. Vegeta, Trunks, and Goten went to aid Goku while Gohan, Pan, and Bra went to tell the people to evacuate. Bra went straight to the her home and found her mother still working in her lab.

"Kaasan! You have to get out of here!" She cried frantically. At the speed the mothership was moving, it would reach their location in a matter of minutes.

"Wait just a second, Bra," Bulma muttered. I'm almost done here..."

"We don't have time for that!" Bra began to tug at her mother's arm with tears running down her cheeks. "Can't you transfer the information from the big computer to your laptop? Start that now and let's go!"

Bulma took one look at her face and decided to do what she said. The data transfer took a minute and a half and storing things into three capsules took another minute. Bra grabbed her mother's hand once everything was done and took off into the air. The four of them just barely made it out of the cannon's range of when it opened fire. Bulma paled as she saw the destruction; she had almost been caught in the middle of it. Gohan sent the two girls and Bulma to his mother's house and took off for the main site of the battle. All who were able to sense ki knew that Goku's, Krillin's, and Yamcha's could not be detected anymore. So they feared the worst.

"What happened here?" Gohan asked as soon as he had landed. Vegeta and the other two were facing off with the Kamoku-jin in the barren wasteland that used to be downtown Satan City. Goten and Trunks remained silent and at length Vegeta spoke.

"These blue aliens here killed your father and the two ningen," he said. "They were too fast. I can't fuse now that Kakarott's dead but Trunks and Goten can form Gotenks. His speed should at least match theirs in level three."

Both young men quickly performed the fusion dance just as the Kamoku-jin began to move. When they dematerialized there wasn't even an silhouette. Gotenks had just emerged in a bright flash of light just as a Kamoku-jin fist reached his face. The super warrior caught it neatly in his open palm and began to squeeze. Just when he was about to crush all of the bones in the blue-skinned alien's hand, he delivered a hard knee to his stomach and a ki blast from his other hand into his face. That Kamoku-jin fell onto the ground lifelessly, dead before he even hit.

Reacting with outrage at their comrade's death, they redoubled their efforts to kill Gotenks. He flew high into the air and used the Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack on them, creating at least a thousand separate ghostly images of himself. Each tracked down a Kamoku-jin and exploded upon contact. Very soon the entire ground force was dead and they did away with the mothership and a few of the ship out in space. Two escaped beyond his reach, though, and all assumed they were going to report back to their home planet. Hopefully it would be decided that it was dangerous to even set foot on Chikyuu.

Vegeta seriously doubted it.

It took two more days to figure out that even though the Kamoku-jin were freakishly fast, they could not sense ki. Very easily teams of humans hunted down the remaining ones by sneaking up on them during the darkest hour of the night. On midday of the twenty-sixth day since the Kamoku-jin had sent out the virus, the War finally came to an end. At the exact instant the last alien was killed, a heavy rain fell onto Satan City to wash away the blood that had soaked the land from the thousands of deaths of the Kamoku-jin.

Vegeta sat at the window of their temporary home, staring at the fat drops at they hit the ground. It was not the end of their trial but only the beginning. Even though the threat was now over, there was still the small matter of rebuilding all that had been lost and wishing back all those who had been killed. The short saiyan stood and decided to take a walk in the rain. He had begun to have thoughts about what had happened to Chikyuu and how everyone had been practically defenseless against it. Something would have to be done to ensure nothing of that sort ever happened again. Vegeta exited the ramshackle old building and tilted his face toward the sky. He would find a solution to the problem if he spent the rest of his life trying.

And so the Heavens wept.

 


	2. Prequel - And So the Heavens Wept

**~New Character Bios: Set Number One~**

**Vegeta Briefs Jr. (or V.J.)**  
Age: 20  
Height: 5'7 1/2  
Weight: 175lbs.  
Eye Color: Blue  
Description: He's got Vegeta's hair style in Bulma's color which makes him look a little weird. His facial features are more like Bulma's than his father's so they wonder why Veggie named him that. He is a martial artist just like everyone in his family except Jakina and Bulma but his little sis is too small to express much of an interest.  
Hobbies: Playing video games, annoying his little sisters, hanging with Trunks and Goten, dating Marron.

 **Jakina Briefs**  
Age: 9  
Height: 4'5  
Weight:60lbs  
Eye Color: Blue  
Description: She has jet black hair in one of Bulma's styles from when she was a child. She loves to smile and have fun which makes Bulma wonder if she's going to be a partygoer when she gets older.  
Hobbies: Playing with Pan and Bra  & helping them both play tricks on the older two, being Vegeta's other favorite.

 **Son Mia**  
Age: 15  
Height: 5'9  
Weight:103lbs  
Eye Color: Dark Brown  
Description: Mia's personality is much like Pan's. They both are extreme tomboys and love to fight right alongside everyone else. Her latest goal is trying to reach super saiyan level 3. She looks more like her mother than her father.  
Hobbies: Sparring with her older bro Goten, Trunks, and V.J., flying, and chatting on the internet.

 **Son Moura**  
Age: 12 months  
Description: She is Gohan and Videl's second daughter. More on her later on in the fic.

* * *

**~Chapter One: It Could Have Been Different~**

The rain fell silently -- as if the heavens were weeping at their fate --, attempting to wash away all of the blood and sorrow in the land. One man stood in the middle of the battle scarred terrain, looking upwards towards the sky.

The aliens had come silently to attack the world. They were masters of stealth, the Kamoku-jin, and they had successfully assaulted everyone without anyone even finding out until it was almost too late.

The earliest signs were the illnesses, taking the form of the old medieval plagues. These 'plagues' wiped out whole towns and cities and made everyone feel completely defenseless. This lasted for several weeks and weakened everyone's spirit. It was like the Kamoku-jin had an itinerary. Then again, they probably did.

As Vegeta looked to the gray sky, he thought about all of the blood and tears that were shed in order to protect their world. Because there were so many, he and the rest of the Z-senshi could not do it alone.

Now the planet was torn asunder. Vegeta just didn't understand why the strong people preyed on the weak in tough times like these. A few years ago he would have thought differently but he had never gone hungry before.

If Mirai Trunks were here, he would have said that it was just like his world. Desolate, dangerous, and full of despair.

He felt, rather than heard, his mate come to stand beside him. Turning he found that she was decked out in a bright yellow rain outfit that included matching boots and umbrella. Bulma moved to bring the umbrella over both of them and slid an arm around his waist.

"What are you looking for, Vegeta?" she asked softly, truly wanting to know.

He looked to the sky again, still searching. "Maybe I'm looking for a solution." A single tear slid down his cheek and mingled with the rain. He sighed and turned away back towards home. There was nothing he could do except go forward.

But, it could have been different.

***

It began several months ago in the city of Paris. Up till then, everyone had been enjoying a peaceful life and said that nothing else would go wrong for their remaining days. Of course, they were wrong but you can't blame someone for being optimistic.

People were becoming ill at an alarming rate, about fifty or sixty a night at first. The hospitals were filled by the end of the week with people all complaining of the same thing; high fevers, aching limbs, and vomiting blood.

By the second day, the victim's lymph nodes were swelling and becoming blackish. It looked like the Bubonic Plague, or the Black Death, had come to visit civilization again.

In the last stages, the swellings got larger and larger until they burst, spreading the disease even farther. All of this only took about three or four days. The plague was both disgusting and horrifying to look at in addition to being highly contagious.

For two weeks, no one Vegeta knew had caught it. At the time it was slowly spreading beyond Tokyo. Then Kamesennin went to the doctor's office for a checkup, and returned bearing the news that he was dying. It was then that the disease was starting to get personal.

If that wasn't enough, then came the message from Kaio-sama a few weeks later that aliens were approaching the planet at an incredible speed.

At first there were only a couple of ships in the atmosphere. Vegeta and the rest were relieved since Kaio-sama had warned them there were a lot. But that relief was short-lived because only a few hours later, around ten-thousand arrived to join their brethren.

The battles were intense for their speed was close to being unmatched. Immediately, groups of ships left the main force and flew off toward other parts of the world. They found out later that it was mostly Europe.

They all left Goku to come up with a plan as usual. He told them that they should split up, one extremely powerful person to a group, and go off to where the aliens had landed. They did so, but that left one group extremely weakened in Japan. That was where the mothership attacked.

A large beam of energy shot from a cannon on the ship's underside, blowing cities and towns to bits. Then it landed ten minutes later and waves of Kamoku-jin emerged from the spaceship's interior.

They were big, blue, and almost transparent with big, red eyes and hands and feet that ended in sharp claws. It looked as if they were a no-nonsense race, and they proved it by swarming around both Krillin and Yamcha and killing them on the spot.

Goku, flooded with grief at having his friends dead.... again, attacked them head on and managed to kill a good many before he was murdered as well.

Those from the mothership were the elite of the race. Once Trunks and Goten fused into Gotenks, however, they proved to be rather weak. The humans helped to take care of the remaining Kamoku-jin and the war ended. This took about three days.

But, it was not without consequences.

***

"So what do you want to do?" Trunks asked his father over dinner the next evening. "Do you want to save the world?"

His answer surprised them all. "Hai."

"Why Papa?" Vegeta Jr. asked. "This world is dead! No one can save it now."

"I knew something like this would happen," Vegeta muttered almost to himself. "I knew that this planet was too disorganized and that *one* attack from outside forces would tip the scales. But these pathetic humans were too wrapped up in their own wars to listen to a good idea."

Bulma turned to him, anger in her eyes. " 'These pathetic humans' as you put them, tried their hardest. But not every human can be super strong like saiyans. Oh wait! Frieza conquered you, now didn't he?"

Vegeta didn't even bother to look up. Or even respond for that matter. He turned to his sons, brow furrowed even more than usual.

"I don't know what to do," he told them. "This is beyond my understanding."

"First you need to decide why you want to help," Bra told him.

"In the time that I've lived on this planet, I've come to," he hesitated only slightly, "like it. No one can just come and blow stuff up." He waved his arm around to indicate an area that included the house they were living in and the entire city. "You see this? It's a complete mess. Those stupid aliens came, poisoned our air and attempted to kill off the entire human race. Why would someone do that? I don't understand it at all.?"

"But you're saiyan," V.J. said, "You destroyed races and planets before."

"But we've always had a reason before. Frieza was like a planetary real estate agent. He had us go to planets that looked wonderful and purge them of its inhabitants so he could sell it to the highest bidder."

"Really?" Jakina asked, eyes wide.

Her father just shrugged. "Well, we didn't have any choice. Anyway, these aliens attacked us without any goal whatsoever. Now we're left to the task of rebuilding everything they destroyed. It's like getting the short end of the stick."

Bulma sighed. "No one said that life was ever fair."

"It at least could be a little more even." Suddenly he stood, throwing his napkin down onto the table. "I'm going for a walk." Leaving his family behind but going off to face troubling thoughts, he walked out into the night.

***

Basically, Western Capital had been destroyed. Only a few buildings remained, one of those *not* being the Capsule Corporation. Before the final battle, however, Bulma and a few other scientists managed to salvage some things before it went. Fortunately not many people were killed in the blast that worked there. The rest of the city was another story completely.

The death count for the entire world was well within the millions. This includes all victims of the Kamoku-jin, whether it be from the plague or the blast. It would have been much higher if not for good evacuation plans and some people's extended battles with the plague. It gave scientists enough time to develop a cure.

With these thoughts going through his mind, Vegeta began to walk towards where his home used to be, not realizing that he was doing so. The Kamoku-jin were clever, he gave them that much, but they shouldn't have come in the first place.

Strangely enough he found himself missing Goku. He was a baka, sure, but he was one of the best fighters he had ever seen. Other than himself of course. It had only been a week since his death but everyone was so busy recovering what they had lost that they hadn't tried to wish him back yet. They didn't even know if the dragonballs had gotten destroyed or not. But once the madness calmed, he was sure someone would take it upon themselves to try and get him back.

Maybe he would do it himself. Stranger things have happened.


	3. Book One: Death and Rebirth - Revival and Reconstruction

The place where they lived now was nothing but a shack hastily build to keep out the elements. There was only one room, a large one that held both the kitchen and the bedroom but the bathroom was outside.

All six of them were miserable there, but it was the best they could do considering the circumstances. Some people were without a home completely, choosing instead to take their chances against robbers and wild animals.

This was the day they were to try and wish back everyone that the Kamoku-jin had killed, once they found the dragonballs of course. Vegeta called a meeting at Master Roshi's old house, since it was basically the only one big enough that was intact, and everyone showed up to his disbelief. It seemed that people would put aside their fear and hatred to help others.

In a circle sat Piccolo, Gohan, Goten, Pan, Juuhachi-gou, Tien, Trunks, Bra, Vegeta, and Vegeta Jr. All were looking rather tired and weary but it was hopeful that they could resurrect everyone.

"Does Bulma still have the Dragon Radar?" Piccolo asked, dispelling the tense silence that had settled over the room after the remaining warriors had arrived.

Vegeta nodded and placed it on the coffee table. "It was one of the things she saved." He smiled grimly. "She knew that we were going to need it."

"Right." He picked it up and pressed the button on the top to get a clearer picture. "All seven of them are still around. The real problem is convincing the dragon to revive Goku, Yamcha, Roshi, and Krillin again."

Gohan nodded and pushed his glasses up with his index finger. "If we revive Tousan first, we can have him teleport to Neo Namek-sei and use Porunga."

Then Piccolo remembered. How it escaped his memory before was beyond him but it was extremely important. They couldn't use the dragonballs simply because their wishes had already been used recently.

They had been stupid, now that he thought about it, but seeing as there had been peace for a long time they didn't need them for anything else.

The first wish had been used by Goku who had wanted a year's supply of food. He ate it all in a week. The second was used by Bulma and ChiChi who had wanted thirty years to be taken from their appearances and the final wish had been Jakina's who wanted every single kind of Barbie doll in existence.

Silly, stupid, and completely unnecessary. Now, when they really needed it, the wishes couldn't be used again for at least ten more months.

"We can't," Piccolo told everyone. "They were just used, remember? Someone will just have to go to Neo Namek-sei and use theirs."

***

Vegeta opted to stay behind on Chikyuu to help everyone replace the things they had lost as did Gohan and Piccolo. In fact, the only ones willing to travel to Neo Namek-sei were the younger ones.

"Bra, you cannot go with them," Bulma said sternly. "I don't trust your brothers to look after you."

"But Kaasan..."

"No buts! And don't give me that 'Gohan is letting Pan go' defense. He's stricter than I am!"

Gohan frowned. "I resent that."

"Anyway," Bulma dismissed the talk with a wave of her hand, "Trunks, V.J., Goten, and Mia are going. That's enough."

"It's not that bad, Bra-chan," Pan smiled as she put an arm around her shoulders. "We can help Tousan and Vegeta-ojisan."

Bra still pouted. "I guess..."

Vegeta absently patted her on the head and moved over to the assembled young people with a clipboard.

"Listen up! Here are the rules."

Gohan shook his head. "I still think an adult should be going with them." Trunks, Goten, & Vegeta Jr. all cleared their throats pointedly. "A *responsible* adult."

"Why Gohan!" Bulma pushed him forward none too gently. "Are you volunteering yourself?"

"N-nani? Iie. Not me. I have too much work to do here." He chuckled a little nervously. "They'll be fine!"

Waving his hand as if dismissing their foolishness, Vegeta went over his list. "One: You are to go there, make the wish, and come home. That's it!" He glared at each and every one of them personally. "No sightseeing, no side trips, no conversing with friendly Namek-jin!"

Trunks mock pouted. "I cant even pick you up a little something from the gift shop?" Both his brother and Goten howled with laughter but they were the only ones who found it the least bit amusing.

Vegeta's glare returned and they shut up immediately. "Two: You will have a Namek-jin say: 'We wish that everyone the Kamoku-jin has killed on Chikyuu be brought back to life.' "

"Papa?" V.J. said hesitantly. He really didn't want another death glare.

"Nani?"

"What about the other two wishes?"

"Just leave them alone. Three: When you return, you will help us with the rebuilding. Everyone needs help and I'll split you up and send you to different countries."

"What if we don't know the language?" Trunks asked. "Like if Goten gets sent to France?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Prior to contrary belief, carpentry is a universal language. So is helping someone out. You're not getting out of this."

Bulma ceased typing on her laptop and sent her information to the printer. "Here's the list of coordinates for Namek-sei. Included is also a guide on how to operate the ship." She handed it to Mia because she didn't trust the other three not to lose it. "Don't screw up. Everyone is counting on you."

"We understand," Trunks told her. "And my duty, as the oldest, is to keep these guys in line." He began to walk toward the space ship, his head held high.

"Don't worry Bulma-san," Mia reassured her. "I don't think even he would mess something this important up on purpose."

Bulma watched as the four of them entered the space ship and closed the door behind them. As they lifted off into the sky, she sighed and began to pray.

'Kami *please* don't let them screw up.'

*******

'The materials just aren't readily available.' That was what the man at the lumberyard had said. 'Too many people are trying to rebuild their lives. Myself included.'

Vegeta frowned as he crossed let another building material supplier off his list. It had been two days and no one had anything.

"How is it coming Vegeta?" Bulma asked him as she entered the living room to bring him a cup of tea. He ignored it and kept right on scanning the phone book.

"There's trouble. No one can spare anything and because of that they've hiked up their prices until no one can even afford to buy the little that they do have left."

Bulma frowned and sat beside him at the table. "It seems to me that we can't rebuild individual houses. How about a couple of large buildings? Like apartments?"

Vegeta blinked and slowly turned to look at her. "You know, you may have something there." Then he began to dial the phone at a rapid pace.

"This is Vegeta from the former Capsule Corporation. I was wondering if you had any stone and lumber that you could sell me?" He paused. "Not much, huh? Well, could it do for one large building?" Pausing again, he absently scratched his arm. Then his dark eyes lit up. "It could? Well, that's good. I'll be right over." Hanging up the phone, he took Bulma's hands.

"It's done! All I need to do is call a few more people and get all that they have too. I need you to come with me because I have no idea how to get this stuff. We'll build a large building with multiple apartments first and then another until everyone has a place to live."

"That's nice of you Vegeta." Bulma said, her eyes shining. 'I wonder what changed him?'

"Not nice, necessary. I intend to rebuild this planet and strengthen its defenses. Eventually Chikyuu will be the greatest empire in the Universe and I will be its king."

She sighed. 'I just knew he had an ulterior motive.'

***

It took ten trips total on that sunny, cloudless, and warm day to get all of the necessary supplies. Most of the warriors helped out as well as the citizens of Satan City that they were building the housing complex for. They really worked well together.

"We have the bricks, the wood, the stone, the paint, the plaster, the roofing shingles, the cement..." Vegeta checked each thing off his list. Over the last month he had become extremely organized.

"What we *don't* have," Gohan interrupted him, "are brick layers, roofers, carpenters..."

The shorter saiyan waved his hand in a dismissive air. "We don't need them."

Bulma, who had just finished the plans on the computer, looked over at him. "Do you really think so? You haven't built anything in your entire life, Vegeta."

"With a little sweat, blood," several people started at this, "and determination, we can succeed." He grabbed a shovel that was lying against a stack of lumber and placed it against the ground. "Now, I intend to break ground. Does someone have a camera?"

His mate sighed and handed Gohan a Polaroid. "I can see the caption now: 'Future king breaks ground on new project for the homeless.' "

Gohan smiled slightly. "If it *is* there, it's only because he wrote it himself." He got into position in front of the saiyan and motioned for him to remove dirt with his shovel. As he did so, Gohan snapped the picture.

They worked for hours that day, digging the basement with a borrowed power shovel and laying the foundation. While waiting for the cement to dry, Vegeta outlined his future plans with his workers.

"Tomorrow we begin to build the frame. I want everyone here bright and early at seven o'clock." There were many groans. "Look at it this way! The earlier you arrive, the faster you can have someplace to live."

As the people left to return to whatever it was that they were calling home, Bulma stopped to wonder yet again at the man that she called her husband.

He was different, that was for sure, but she couldn't place her finger on what exactly had caused it. It could have been any number of things; the battle, the hunger, or the general sorrow of the land. But whatever it was, it seemed to be a change for the better.

Bulma remembered the day the Kamoku-jin attacked Satan City all too clearly. She had been making the final corrections on a computer program when the ground shook with such force she thought it was an earthquake.

She remembered that Bra had ran into her lab, shouting something about destruction and that they needed to leave as soon as possible. She had told her daughter to gather up only the important things and to lead her sister to safety.

She was staying.

'Goku and the others will take care of it,' she had told her, 'There's no need to worry.' Oh but how wrong she was.

To Bulma staying with her experiments was more important than fleeing. The company was her life. It took Bra's tear streaked face to convince her that surviving was the most important thing of all.

Bulma shook her head at the memory. The attack was awful, sure, but the way she had been acting was even worse. Nothing is more important than staying alive for her family. Nothing. It was a mistake that she would never make a second time.

After finally coming to her senses, she had grabbed a couple of things, stored them in a capsule and left the building. It had been only a few minutes before the mothership had destroyed the Capsule Corporation. Kami had been truly watching over her that day.

"Kaasan, are you thinking again?" Bra knew the look her mother had on her face. It was the same one she had seen almost every day since the attack. Many people had very similar looks; everyone had a horror story to replay in their mind.

Bulma shook her head. "It's nothing."

Despite her answer, Bra was still worried.

***

"We're coming up on the planet now," Trunks told everyone as he rechecked the coordinates. "I think you should all buckle in, it might be a bumpy ride."

"If it is," Mia told him, "it's your own fault."

The trip to Neo Namek-sei was rather uneventful. There were no other spaceships, no comets, no asteroids; nothing. All knew the importance of the trip and didn't waste the one over by playing, they had spent it coming up with a way to gather the dragonballs.

"Shouldn't we go to the Elder and just ask him for them?" Mia said.

Trunks shook his head. "Kaasan told me that there are trials that you have to go through to prove that you're worthy of receiving the dragonball. We don't have time for that."

"It doesn't hurt to ask!" She insisted. "It might save us trouble later on if we tell them how important this mission is."

"You're always playing by the rules," V.J. snorted. "Even when we don't have time."

Goten frowned at his earlier comment. "I agree with her. What if the Namek-jin get mad at us for collecting the dragonballs?"

Trunks sighed and ended the conversation. "We'll ask them then. Like Mia says, there's no harm in it. Right?"

Now that he was actually landing on the planet he wasn't so sure.

They disembarked quietly, each worried that the Namek-jin wouldn't let them use the dragonballs.

"What do we do now?" Goten asked.

"We split up into groups. One will go find the Elder and the other will begin to collect the dragonballs." Trunks handed Mia the Dragon Radar. "Mia, you'll go with Vegeta."

"Why do *I* have to go with her?" Vegeta asked in exasperation. "We never get along!"

"You're getting along today whether you like it or not. This is too important."

"Sure Big Brother Trunks. Whatever you say."

Mia rolled her eyes as she pressed the button to get a clearer picture. "Doing this with you isn't high on my list either." Then she took to the air, following the direction that the Radar had indicated.

Vegeta sighed and was quick to follow her. "You can't leave me this easily!"

Trunks fell silent for a moment as he searched for the ki of a large group of Namek-jin. "They're over there."

Goten nodded. "Let's go."


	4. Book One: Death and Rebirth - Enslavement

The grassy plains of Namek flew underneath them at an incredible speed. But neither had the time to gaze at it. Mia, because she was on a mission, and V.J. because he was preoccupying himself with trying to catch up to her.

Vegeta wondered about how she became so fast. Was it because she was Son Goku's daughter? While believable as an answer, it just didn't make sense. Genes help determine what you're good at, but someone could suck at science even if their parents were geneticists. Was it because he didn't train as much as he used to? Maybe. But he had been preoccupied with being cool and trying to hang out with Trunks. As a matter of fact, that's all he, Trunks, and Goten ever did. That would sure explain why Pan could beat up her ojiichan easily.

"Could you slow down a bit?" He shouted to her. "We have all day!"

Vegeta knew that he shouldn't have said that as soon as it exited his mouth. Mia didn't even have to turn around, he could sense that she was angry. "Maybe the lives of millions of people don't matter to you. Maybe you think that even though they died before their time, it would be okay to spend a year resurrecting them. But it does matter to me. It's *not* okay to procrastinate." Her voice lowered to where he almost couldn't hear here. "I thought you were better than that, Vegeta."

He wisely decided to stay silent, instead choosing to put on a burst of speed to reach the younger demi-saiyan. The ground below transformed quickly from grass to a clear blue ocean and he could sense that they were almost there.

Fields came into view first and that confused Vegeta. "Why do they have gardens? Nameks don't eat anything..."

Mia snorted. "Don't you know anything? That isn't food, those are the Plants of Agica. In baka terms, more trees."

"I'm not a baka," he said, mildly offended. "It's not my fault no one told me about this. Stop acting so stuck up."

They landed on the ground and she spun around to face him. "I'm stuck up? What about you Mister Prince Vegeta!" Then quite suddenly she made a gasping sound and her hand flew to her mouth.

"What's wrong?" he asked, instantly concerned. But she didn't answer him. Slowly he turned around to see what she saw. His eyes widened as he looked around.

Someone had definitely been to this village before they had and their intent was anything but friendly. Some houses were burned to ashes while others still bore the remains of their tragic fate by the fires that still burned brightly upon them. They could see no bodies but that could mean both good and bad. Based on the destruction that lay before them, they were assuming that the Namek-jins had burned to death in their homes.

"Who would do something like this?" Mia asked no one in particular. "Didn't they go through enough when Frieza's men killed them?"

"There are reasons for everything and I'm guessing that they wanted the Dragonballs." When Mia looked at him curiously, he explained. "Why else would someone come to this planet? There's nothing to see."

"You're right. We need to find Trunks and Goten as soon as possible." As soon as she said it, they heard the sound of booted feet upon the dusty ground. Ducking behind a ruined wall, they watched a grim procession march by.

The Namek-jin hadn't been killed but by the looks of bad guys, they might have wished that they had. They walked in single file, all of them chained together by metal collars around their necks and chains trailing from one steel ring to the other. Some limped heavily, obviously the results of fighting back, while others could barely stand upright because of unnecessary beatings. But whenever one stumbled, he was yanked to his feet savagely by one horned, dark green skinned, black spotted, reptilian looking alien that held the chain firmly in his meaty fist. They worked so fast that the severely wounded fell often. That just gave the reptiles an excuse to abuse them. Not that they wouldn't have done it anyway.

Slowly they moved toward this hover vehicle about one-hundred feet away with their prisoners. Mia and Vegeta watched them a kind of quiet rage as they forced them into the vehicle and they moved off. But something had told them both not to get the aliens' attention or they would end up in the same position as the Namek-jin. That was absurd seeing as they were half saiyan, but it didn't hurt to be cautious.

"What are they doing here?" Mia asked him.

"I don't know. But we better find the other two quick."

Blasting into the air, they both headed for Trunks and Goten's ki signatures barely leaving a vapor trail in their wake.

***

Elder Muri was an older namek that took the role of caretaker when the former one had died. He was sitting in a chair outside of his home, watching the children play. It was incredibly peaceful in their village considering what was happened only a hundred miles away. Trunks and Goten landed beside him softly and waited for his attention.

"Hello," Muri said. "What brings you to our planet?"

"My name is Trunks and this is Goten. We really, really, *really* need to use your Dragonballs."

He turned around then. "You're from Chikyuu and there was a terrible war going on their recently."

Goten was shocked. "How did you know that?"

"I sensed it." Standing up he went inside of his house with them following.

"I can't tell you how much this means to us," Trunks said smiling. "See, we already used our wishes for incredibly stupid reasons and almost half of the world's population is dead..."

"Say no more," He reached into a large chest and lifted the five star ball from its interior. "The dragonball is yours."

"Thank you!" Goten exclaimed.

"It's not a problem. Your father has done a lot for our people." He smiled at Trunks. "*Your* father killed some of our number but there are no hard feelings."

He blushed bright red and mumbled something akin to an apology.

"How do you know who our fathers are? We didn't tell anyone."

Muri returned to his seat outside before he answered. "I suspect that you have been told all of your life that you are almost identical in appearance to Son Goku, am I right?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It's annoying sometimes."

"And Trunks," he said to him, "do they say the same about you and Vegeta?"

"I'm my Papa with purple hair and blue eyes."

"There you have it."

"Well-" Whatever he was going to say was cut off by the loud rumbling of an engine. The very same hovercraft from Mia and V.J.'s encounter floated high above the Elder's village, casting a shadow over the people outside. Everyone looked up in curiosity, wondering about who they were.

"Something's not right," Goten frowned. "*That's* not right. Who are they?"

"Trunks! Goten!" Mia shouted as she landed beside them. "We have to fight them off. The village we had gone to was completely destroyed and they captured the Namek-jin there."

Slowly a crowd began to form around the four demi-saiyans. The emotions of the Namek-jin ranged from outraged to frightened. The children crowded around Elder Muri all hoping that he would send the bad men away.

"Everyone just stay calm," Vegeta said as the hover vehicle landed. "We won't let them hurt you like they did the other village."

"I don't think there is anything you can do," Muri said sadly. "Their hearts are as dark as starless space and just as empty. I fear that they will overcome you, too, if you fight them."

Both Vegeta and Mia started. It was the same feeling that they had experienced before. But then Goku's only daughter shook her head. "We have no choice. If they take us, we can at least go down fighting."

"Damn," Trunks cursed softly, "I should have brought my katana with me from the ship. But I never knew something like this could happen."

The Elder nodded. "It always does when you are unprepared."

The ugly green reptiles approached them with cruel smirks on their faces. In their hands were torches and collars, on their belts were various weapons that would leave a grown man screaming. They stared at Trunks, Mia, Vegeta, and Goten with dead, emotionless eyes. Those same eyes turned to the Namek-jin and lit in pure joy at the mere thought of torturing them. What did they ever do to this race? That was about as answerable as what did anyone do to deserve *anything*.

As they drew closer the children began to whimper. It was a high-pitched, sorrowful sound that tore at everyone's hearts. But like Elder Muri said, there was nothing that they could do.

"What a happy day," one of the reptiles hissed, "you get to become our slaves."

This was about the point where Mia just couldn't take anymore. She pulled her fingerless gloves tighter onto her hands and glared at them all.

"Why are you here? You just can't come to someone else's planet and taken over!"

"Yesss we can," he said, "we know we can. Who are you to ssstop us sssaiyanling?" At her surprised face he nodded. "We have dealt with your kind before. We know your tricksss."

"You transssform at the light of the full moon," the one on his right said, "you are born and bred to fight and kill."

"*We* weren't," Goten said to them. "But obviously you were bred to enslave."

The leader laughed harshly. "Our kind were tired of being ssslaves ourssselvesss. We overcame. Now we conquer." He turned to the other two behind him. "Take them."

Mia ran out to the front of the crowd with the other three close behind. "We won't let you do this."

"You can't ssstop us," he said. "You know you can't."

"I can sure try!" She leapt at him, fully intending on doing so.

"Wait Mia!" Goten shouted. "Damn, she's too reckless."

"What's wrong?" Trunks asked as he observed the battle. "It looks like she's doing pretty good."

"Haven't you noticed yet Trunks?" he asked. "Have you sensed their ki?"

"No, but-"

"Exactly." Goten turned worried eyes to his sister. "They're living, breathing beings. All live things have ki. I think they're hiding it." That was confirmed when the leader grew tired of the battle and knocked Mia away as easily as batting a fly.

"What are they?!" Mia asked, panting.

Before anyone could answer her, the leader reptile raised his hand and shot pale green fingernails in the direction of Mia's neck. Before she could even breath, her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell to the ground. The other two quickly following suit, doing the same to the other three demi-saiyans. New poisonous nails grew back quickly, now again ready to injure someone else.

"We are your end." Cackling, the reptiles then went back to their original task, capturing the Namek-jin.

"We are everyone's end."

***

The first thing that Mia thought about was that her entire neck burned with fire and she touched the side of her neck to discover wounds hardened with dried blood. She quickly checked the rest of her body for bumps, bruises, and broken bones and discovered none besides her back where something was pressing into it. Slowly she sat up and looked around.

She thought that she was in a cargo hold of some sort. It was confirmed when her eyes made out shadowed, squarish shapes in the gloom. Shifting to her knees, she began to crawl around a large crate taking care to keep herself low. Suddenly she spotted her companions lying nearby, still unconscious, on the metallic floor.

"Where the hell am I?" she whispered to herself as she sat down near them. For the moment she didn't want to be alone. "What happened to the Namek-jin?"

Trunks groaned sort of loudly and she looked at him in sympathy. Mia remembered how much her neck hurt we she had awoken. It didn't hurt so much now.

Pressing her hand on his forehead, she tried to keep him still as she checked him over quickly for injuries.

"Relax, Trunks-chan, it's only me." At the sound of her voice, he calmed down. "How's your neck?"

He grimaced and opened his eyes. "Hurts like hell."

She smiled. "That's about right. Whatever they hit us with was sure strong."

"Are V.J. and Goten okay?"

She sat back on her heels as he sat up. "I wouldn't know, they're still out. I didn't look them over yet."

A door somewhere nearby creaked open and footsteps sounded throughout the room. Mia and Trunks both fell silent at the same time and strained to hear the voice's words.

"What are you going to do with them, doctor?"

"Sssaiyansss make great experimentsss asss do sssome Namek-jin. It isss ssso interesssting to open a sssaiyan'sss ssskull to sssee what isss inssside."

The other voice laughed. "Are you sssure it isssn't empty?"

"Oh no. Disssection of the brain isss my favorite part."

"They're going to kill us and cut us open?!" Mia asked in a high squeak.

Trunks shook his head. "No they're not. We won't let them."

"Have you finissshed the device?"

"The one that rendersss a sssaiyan completely helplesss? Oh yesss. Of courssse. I am a geniusss, you know. Sssaiyansss get extrodinary powersss from moonlight. What if sssaid moonlight wasss turned againssst them? It would damage them greatly."

"How would you do that?" The footsteps moved a bit closer and then stopped again.

"I-" The 'good' doctor was cut off in mid-sentence by incredibly loud and pain-filled groaning.

Vegeta and Goten were waking up.


	5. Book One: Death and Rebirth - Experimentation

All conversation halted between the doctor and the other reptile as the two young men continued to moan as if they were dying. Mia smacked them both, hard, and they ceased the irritating noise.

"Great job, bakas," Trunks told them. "Now they know we're awake."

"Kami Mia," Goten complained as he rubbed his cheek. "Did ya have to hit me so hard? I'm tellin' Kaasan when we get home."

"Grow up, Goten. They're are more important things in life than getting me in trouble with Kaasan. Besides, if you would train more it wouldn't have hurt."

"Well, well, well," a green-skinned face with tiny spectacles peered over a low crate at them, "Are thessse the sssubjectsss?"

"Subjects for what?" Goten asked in a small voice.

"They're going to lay us down on a cold, metallic table," Mia said very calmly, "and cut open our skulls so they can study our brains. But you won't have to worry about that. Your brain wouldn't interest them."

"N-nani?" His eyes widened in shock. "You can't do that!"

"I sssubdued you with poissson before." The other reptile hissed with a smirk. "I can do it again."

There was silence for a moment until Vegeta asked a question.

"What are your names?" That was the last thing anyone would have expected to come out of his mouth.

The doctor frowned at him. "He is Captain Sssarden and I am Doctor Judek. Why did you want to know?"

Then Vegeta smiled dangerously and grabbed him by the collar of his lab coat. "Because I always know the names of those I kill."

Doctor Judek gulped audibly. "C-captain, help!"

Sarden looked around helplessly for a moment before he came up with something. Stepping around a pile of boxes he stopped next to Mia on her left. "I don't think you want your Namek-jin friendsss hurt." He held up a communicator. "I can make it happen, you know."

Vegeta glared at him, an almost identical expression to his father, and pushed the doctor away. "Take us to them."

The captain smirked. "Follow me."

***

"Our facility is almossst perfect in every conceivable way." The doctor was in his element, science and technology. They walked down a brightly, almost blindingly, lit white-walled hallway through each area of the ship. Judek thought that they needed a tour of his pride and joy. There were hundreds of crew members, all nearly identical to the ones accompanying them except for slight changes in the horns and skin pigmentation, going about their daily duties. Most of them shot dirty looks at the demi-saiyans while others either pitied them or didn't care. Judek began with the crew quarters and ended with the labs. Of course that was where it was going to end for them so it was convenient.

"Our holding cells are over here," the doctor said as he led them to a back area of the spotless laboratory. "All of our new slaves get full physicals before they are put to work."

"They're going to become slaves?!" Mia's eyes narrowed as she pushed past the two reptiles and turned the corner. They heard a gasp from her as she ran to the bars of the cell. There were two giant rooms next to each other filled with Namek-jin from each of the two villages they had destroyed.

"Are you guys alright?" she asked as her right hand reached out to touch one of the bars.

"No don't!" Muri cried as her hand made contact. There wasn't a sound from the bars but a short shriek of pain went up from her. Mia jumped back, clutching at her hand.

"What the hell is running through those things?!" She looked at her burned hand. "Electricity?"

"They told us that any warm blood that touches them will get burned." A little Namek-jin boy said. "Cold bloods can change their body temperature to adapt. Warm bloods can't."

"Yesss, the barsss' temperature is a nice one-hundred fifty degreesss Fahrenheit:" The doctor came to stand next to her. "You'd better put ice on that." If Mia's scalding look of hatred could kill, he would have died a long time ago in that storeroom. At this point her hands were just as ready to do the job.

"Those bars did that to her hand?" Goten asked, ready to do the older brother thing and protect his little sister.

"I'm okay, Goten-chan." Mia smiled at him. Then she turned towards Judek once again. "But he's not gonna be in a minute."

"Look at that, two people want to kill you already." Trunks commented.

"I am the head doctor of thisss lab," Judek held his head up high. "And you four are my sssubjectssss of ssstudy. You ssshould be honored!"

Vegeta began to move towards him. "Oh? And why is that?" 

The doctor backed away slowly, trying to keep a good amount of distance between himself and Vegeta. He did not want a repeat of the storage room incident. "My work isss sssplendid. I have made breakthroughsss for almossst everything. Thisss very ssship isss the only one is ssspace that can mine metalsss from asssteroidsss and other celessstial bodiesss."

"What are you going to do with the stuff you mine?"

The doctor snapped his fingers and an aide brought a rolled up blueprint. "We plan to build the mossst beautiful empire in the universsse."

Vegeta started to laugh deeply and loudly. He laughed for a long time, posing only to catch his breath and to wipe the tears from his eyes. Through the whole thing, everyone in the holding cell area was watching him just in case he was suffering some mental illness and would snap at any moment.

Finally someone spoke. Trunks smiled bemusedly. "Totochan, what are you laughing about?"

V.J. finally caught his breath and pointed at Judek. "He said that they were going to have the most beautiful empire out there."

No one understood. "Um hai," Trunks said. "he did."

"But Papa is tryin' to rebuild his and unite the human race." Still, no one laughed. V.J. thought about this for a moment longer and then he shrugged. "You're right. It's not funny at all. In fact, it'a a challenge." He once again advanced on the doctor. "Are you challenging the saiyan king?"

"Why isss it that everything I do or sssay ssseemsss to irritate thisss one?"

Mia put an arm around his shoulders. It *wasn't* a friendly gesture. "Well you see, Vegeta Jr. is the one who inherited Vegeta-ojisan's personality the most. His father is *much* worse than this. You can stay quiet and not look at him and he'll get angry." This was an exaggeration now. But her tousan had told him about the Vegeta from before Trunks was born. She was sure it was still in him, just buried deep down.

With one quick movement, she grabbed the back of his lab coat and shoved him roughly toward the cells. "Release my friends *now*."

Shaking like a leaf in the wind, he walked over to a panel on the wall and pushed a series of numbers on the key pad. After a moment, the computer dinged and the bars slid up into the ceiling. The little Namek-jin boy that had told Mia about the bars, darted between the legs of the adults and hugged her hard.

"Domo arigatou, Mia-san!" She smiled and patted him on the head.

This done, Trunks walked through the entranceway and back into the main part of the lab where scientists of all shapes and sizes were performing tests on a large chunk of rock. Suddenly there was a bright flash of light from it and it fell into two halves onto the table.

"We've finally broken it, doctor," One reptile, female by the sound of her voice, told him, "and are now ready to study it's contents." Her S's did not hiss like the other ones they had listened to. She sounded almost normal.

"Good, Amarkan," the doctor responded with a smile on his face, "let usss now retrieve the ring."

Slowly everyone began to crowd around the table in curiosity as another one of the lady scientist's colleagues began to chip delicately at the rock surrounding something embedded in the stone. Just as they were finishing up, the glass doors to the lab burst open and Captain Sarden.

"We have all ssseven dragonballsss, sssir," he saluted smartly, "but what do we do with them exactly?"

"Idiot! Have you not read about the infamousss dragonballsss of Namek-sssei?" Then he shook his head. "Nevermind. Place them over there."

"What do you want with them?" Muri asked. "Why do you want to make a wish?"

"That isss none of your busssinesss really," the doctor said even as Sarden told him.

"We want the wissshesss for our empire. We want one wisssh for it to be forever protected from outssside invasion; we want the second wisssh for our king and queen so that they may live a long, happy life; and the third wisssh...." He smiled in delight. "The third wisssh is the besst one of all."

"We have not had any new hatchlingsss on our planet for oh ssso long," his face grew sad as did every other reptile in the room. "There is sssomething going on that it preventing our wivesss and daughtersss and ssistersss from having children. Asss a result, our people are ssslowly dying off." He looked up at Muri. "I don't want that to happen."

"I see," Muri said quietly. "I understand. It is awful not to have children around. We will let you use the dragonballs for at least that wish."

"It's sad but we really need one of those wishes. Probably two." Mia said. "It's my tousan. Me an' Goten's tousan actually," she began to explain to them. "He's dead and so is half our population. We need at least two wishes to bring back them all."

"You can't jussst ussse one?" Judek questioned.

She shook her head. "Tousan, Krillin, Yamcha, and Roshi have all died before. It will be hard to bring them back and one mass wish isn't going to do it."

"No! We must reserve that wish for our people's safety!" Amarkan suddenly cried out. "The Lyz'da need it more than you do!" She rushed over to the small table that held the softly glowing orbs. Mia met her across the table.

"We can give you safety! You can have one wish and I promise that our people will protect your planet." Once it was out of her mouth she regretted it. Vegeta probably wouldn't fufill her promise and these people would die because of it. But there was nothing she could do. Amarkan's eyes shone brightly as she slowly digested her words.

"You will?" She said in a tentative hopeful voice as if she were afraid that it was just a dream.

"Hai," Mia said with a smile. "We will." That was when Trunks grabbed her by the arm and forcefully yanked her to one side.

"Are you insane?!" He asked in a low voice. "Papa won't protect these people! You know how he is!"

"I have a plan. Don't worry." She said that now, but really she didn't have any idea how to take care of this.

***

On ancient Vegeta-sei in the calmer days of the early empire, a king could do any number of things to call his people to court. There was the posters on the walls of the marketplace idea that didn't really do much since more than half the population couldn't even read and there was the shouted announcements in the square that also didn't have much effect since saiyans are generally loud and obnoxious.

Then there was Dreamspeak.

Dreamspeaking was a unique thing. A king, queen, or any other high royal authority could actually speak to the entire race in their dreams to tell them of an important meeting or function. It was like a mental public service announcement. It had proved quite effective in the old days and saiyans did not forget what had existed in their dreams.

So in the spirit of old Vegeta-sei -- and the fact that his patience would run thin long before he got people to listen to him -- Vegeta performed a Dreamspeak that night to announce his intent on ruling the world. Not that exact wording of course.

He lay in his bed, next to Bulma, and quietly put himself into a trancelike state. It was similar to the one he adopted when in deep meditation but much more involved.

_"People of Chikyuu, I come to you this early morning to formally announce my kingship. I, Vegeta-oui the Tenth, shall reunite these lands and bring peace to all of their citizens. What does that mean for you? I offer you protection from outside forces and a more stable existence for everyone."_

Yes, Vegeta Jr. was actually Vegeta the Eleventh but his father felt that the old way of governing was wrong therefore it was right to consider himself Vegeta the First. The first of a new era.

_"My two eldest children are currently on a mission to wish back the people lost in the recent battle with the Kamoku-jin. If you have lost loved ones or friends recently then you will be pleasantly surprised to get them back very soon. I end on this note: all is not lost and the world will be reborn into something glorious."_

Vegeta smiled a little to himself as he ended the Speak. He had to admit that his speech was near perfect.

Then he noticed Bulma. The worried lines that had creased her brow had eased somewhat in her sleep. Vegeta gently took a hand and brushed back her bangs.

"I am certainly looking forward to the dawn," he commented softly to himself, "It should prove to be interesting."


	6. Book 1: Death and Rebirth - Despair's End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From this point on, I'm going to assume that you know that most of the Lyz'da (pronnounced liz-da) hiss their S' (unless otherwise stated) and some of the other consonants in certain words like the 'C' is 'recent' or the 'X' in 'experiment'.

Suk'dn-sei was beautiful enough to steal your breath away. The ground was green and lush with thriving plant life and the sky was the pure azure of zero pollution. Birds chirped and a warm wind blew gently caressing all bare skin like warm silk. But that was where paradise ended. Mia could feel that there was an undercurrent of sadness, determination similar to a candle that was fighting to stay lit during a gust of wind. Their spirits were flickering with rapidly fading determination that their race would not be lost to time. She acknowledged this resoluteness with a smile because it will all be over soon.

"They're losing hope," she said softly to the group.

"We must summon the Dragon quickly!" Amarkan cried.

Muri nodded and placed all seven dragonballs in a circle and motioned for them all to stand back. Then he took a deep breath and said something in his native language that translated to 'Eternal Dragon we ask a wish of you. Please appear so that you may grant it.'.

Quickly the sky darkened as jagged bolts of lightening flashed across the sky. Gusts of wind around forty miles per hour slammed against them as the dragonballs glowed brightly and then began to flash. Then there was a bright flash of light greater than any before and the dragon materialized from the balls.

The Lyz'da (the whole lot of them from the space ship) all stood there in rapt fascination as the dragon changed from from the glowing light into a scaly green creature. He stared down at them, patiently waiting for a wish.

Muri looked to the small group of demi-saiyans for their wishes. They too stood there staring at the dragon as if they had never seen the one back home on Chikyuu before. Mia snapped out of her trancelike state and told him.

"For our first wish, we want everyone that the Kamoku-jin had killed to be brought back to life."

"Just on Chikyuu or every planet?" he asked.

She took a moment to decide. Would the dragon have enough power to restore every victim's lives? It didn't hurt to ask besides, she would never be able to sleep at night if she refused.

"Every single planet."

He nodded and began to concentrate on forming the exact words. The Dragon's eyes glowed red and he spoke.

"It is done." Nothing else happened but all knew that whatever the Eternal Dragon said was truth.

"For our second wish," she said, "we would like Son Goku, Yamcha, Krillin, and Kamesennin Mutenroshi to be brought back to life."

There was a long moment of hesitation and finally the dragon spoke. "Son Goku has died far too many times. This wish cannot be granted."

"But he's needed!" Goten protested. "We can't save the world without him!"

"But didn't you?" he asked. "After Son Goku died, the remaining warriors defeated the Kamoku-jin. I see no threat in the near future that would require his services."

"Goku-san isn't needed simply for battles," Trunks said softly. "You see, Goku-san is what keeps us all together. His strength, kindness, and courage are what we depend on. Papa can't take on the task of uniting the world by himself. He may be the ingenuity and Kaasan the intelligence, but Goku-san is the heart and soul. Without him we would be nowhere."

The Dragon's eyes glowed once again before he responded. "It shall be granted."

"Domo arigatou," Trunks replied. "We will never forget this."

Mia and Goten hugged each other. "Tousan's back!" she said in complete joy, tears of happiness trailing down her cheeks.

"Hai," Goten smiled. "I wish I could have been there to see Kaasan's face."

"You have one final wish," the Dragon spoke in his deep voice. "Make it so that I may return to my slumber."

It was all up to Doctor Judek and Doctor Amarkan now. The disbelief was plain on their faces as if they still couldn't believe that their dream was coming true. Amarkan smiled shakily at Judek.

"Can I have the honor?"

He nodded. "You deserve to be happy."

Turning to Muri she spoke. "We wish that the barren curse be lifted from our people so that our female citizens will be able to bear children again for millennia to come."

He smiled at her and repeated it in Namekian.

"It is done." The Dragon began to flash. "Farewell." In another flash of bright light he disappeared 

"How can we ever thank you?" she asked Muri.

He smile grew wider. "Taking us back home would be nice."

"Oh!" she blushed. "That was rude of us. But we were so eager to have everything back to normal..."

"How would you like a tour?" Judek asked over the cheers of the other Lyz'da.

Vegeta smirked. "Are you trying to show us its beauty so that we will fulfill our promise of protection?"

"Oh no," he shook his head, still a little frightened of V.J. "Not at all."

"He's joking," Mia said dryly. "Of course we'll take your tour. This seems like a nice planet."

***

"Ohayo Veggie-chan!" An overly cheerful voice called from outside their shack.

Vegeta looked up from his writing and nodded once. "I see they made the wish."

Goku sat down beside him. "Yup. I hope that doesn't happen again anytime soon. What are you writing?"

He sat his pen aside. The taller saiyan was going to give him any peace until he left. "The onna told me that humans like to finalize things in writing. So I'm creating a copy of the agreement, formally called the Vegeta-sei Alliance."

He was curious. "Why did you call it that? Wouldn't the Chikyuu Alliance be a better name?"

Vegeta shrugged. "Vegeta-sei gave me the idea for the government so I thought that I would call it that."

"Papa! Are you in here?" Bra called as she stepped through the door with Pan and Jakina trailing after her. Pan took one look at her ojiichan and burst into tears.

"You're alive!" she cried as she hugged him. Goku smiled and patted her on the head.

"Kakarott, you didn't even bother to tell your family that you were alive again?" he asked.

"I came straight here. I felt that there was something important that you would need my help for."

"I see," he stood. "Kakarott, I want you to be my second in command and the leader of my army." Goku gave him a look. "Fine, *our* army."

"I don't know, Veggie-chan. That's a lot of responsibility..."

"Do it, Goku-san." Bra said. "It'll be easy for you."

"Alright then, I will!"

"Papa, Mama said to tell you that they wanted you for something," Jakina said. "I don't know what they're talking about."

"Where is she?"

"With those men that you said were from some company. It was something about stone."

Vegeta was very pleased. "Ah. They must be talking about the materials for the palace."

"What palace?" Goku asked. "Are you building another house?"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course! Did you think that we were going to be staying *here* for the rest of our lives?" He waved his hand at their tiny shack. It was so small, one couldn't even consider it a house. "A king deserves something far more regal."

"Can I live there with you?" Goku asked. He then corrected himself when a shocked look came over the other's face. "I mean can ChiChi and I live there with you?"

"Sure, why not Kakarott?" Vegeta said sarcastically. "And while I'm at it, I'll let Krillin and his family come too! Better yet, what about Yamcha and his stupid flying cat?"

"Stop being that way, Veggie," Goku said. "I was just asking."

He sighed. "I have things to do. Bra, go tell your mother I'm on my way. Jakina, I want to speak with you. Kakarott, get lost and take your granddaughter with you."

He grinned as he carried Pan out with him. "Now that's the Vegeta I'm used to." Bra laughed and followed him out.

"What ya want to talk to me about, Papa?" Jakina asked.

"Jackie-chan," Vegeta said. He only called her that when there was no one else around save Bra. "How do you feel about all of this?"

She blinked in confusion. "What do you mean? I'm okay."

"That's not what I meant." He picked her up. "Bra's old enough to understand but you're still a child." He sighed deeply. "I didn't even ask you after the War how you were doing."

"I do think what happened what pretty scary," she told him, "but you always told me to be brave about everything. So I was."

Vegeta smiled, he couldn't help it. "I didn't mean to hide what you were feeling from us. You can tell me anything, you know that."

"Can I?" she looked at him seriously. "Papa, I love you and all but you're not the easiest person in the world to talk to. We avoid you as much as we can. Trunks told us stories about how you were when he was small. Whenever he would try and talk to you about something, you would tell him to be quiet and go away so that you could train. Mama's a lot easier to tell stuff to. She always makes time to listen. You probably don't notice that you're doing it, but you don't listen very well."

Vegeta was shocked. He had always tried to make time for his children, or had he? Now that he thought about it, there was always something more important to do. Sparring with Kakarott, training to defeat Kakarott.... It was always the same thing. But Kakarott had always made time for his family. That was just another thing he was better at than him.

No more. He would not put his children's problems on hold any longer. If his endeavor was to be successful, he would need the complete cooperation of his entire family. But if that was to happen, he would have to show them that no one was more important than they were. No one.

"Listen Jackie-chan, it's okay to be afraid. Everyone's a little frightened sometimes."

Her eyes widened. "Even you?"

"Especially me. I'm afraid that your mother will decide one day that I'm not worth being around. I'm afraid that something will happen to one of you kids. I'm afraid of a lot of things."

She hugged him. "I'm glad you told me that. Why don't you show your emotions more often?"

Vegeta walked out into the bright sunlight, heading to where Bulma was showing the construction workers the blueprints they had drawn up last night. He looked down at his youngest child; the one that was still innocent, the one still trying to find her place in a world that was not kind to children. He unconsciously held her tighter as if trying to protect her from all the evils the chaotic universe had to offer.

"I'm not used to doing so," he admitted. "This is still all new to me."

"Don't be afraid of the new things Papa. No one will laugh at you."

"Arigatou Jakina. I love you, you know that?"

"Hai," she smiled. "Even if you don't show it."

"As long as you always remember that, then you'll be okay."

 

**Epilogue: A New Hope**

Trunks, Vegeta, Mia, and Goten returned home a few days later along with a little Namekian boy named Magori that attached himself to Goku's daughter. The next few weeks were spent rebuilding everything that they had lost.

The palace was fully built in record time. Around six hundred volunteers helped along with professionals so that their king would have someplace to stay. After dragging Vegeta and her children to store after store to pick furniture for every room of their new home, Bulma contented herself with matching everything just right so that when people visited they left wishing that their rooms looked like the royal palace's. Vegeta considered this to be pathetic.

Vegeta allowed Goku and his family to live with him after Bulma ranted at him for nearly an hour. She told him that her Son-kun was just as important as he was and it would be nice to have them around every single day. Her mate, of course, considered it a curse.

Little Magori earned his place in everyone's heart. Mia was like his mother and she, Pan, Bra, and Jakina spent a lot of time with him. Goku constantly went on and on about how cute he was and Gohan said he reminded him of Dende when he was a child.

Vegeta was living it up. He told everyone that it was just like old Vegeta-sei. All he needed was some slaves and people to bow and call him Vegeta-oui every time he passed by. Bulma became furious and informed him that no one would bow and scrape just to make him happy. Then she found out that he was joking.

Chikyuu continued its isolated existence in the Milky Way galaxy relatively peacefully and a new era was born on the planet. Of course nothing would ever be the same again but that was the joy of it. Something new to experience, something new to behold. A few things remained exactly the same-

"I'm going to kill you one day Kakarott! Count on it!"

-but that's an entirely different story.

~OWARI~


End file.
